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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · tube · perch · leaves · pound · pitcher · dip · snap

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. snap — to click
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com